Tag Archives: garmin

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) Board of Directors unanimously selected Chris Camacho as the organization’s fourth president and CEO during a special meeting today.

Camacho has served as executive vice president of GPEC since joining the organization in 2008. He oversaw the organization’s top line performance measures, including domestic and international business development and market strategies. Camacho has also served as a primary conduit to Maricopa County and cities in the region.

“Chris is one of the leading economic development professionals in the country and unquestionably the best candidate for the position,” said Don Smith, GPEC board chairman and CopperPoint Mutual president. “His proven leadership acumen and depth of experience will enhance the momentum of the organization and propel our work forward. Following an extensive evaluation, the Board was confident in the strength of our leadership succession plan. Chris has the full support of our communities and stakeholders.”

Over the course of his career, Camacho has earned regional and national recognition. This month, he was recognized by Consultant Connect as a Top 50 Economic Developer in North America. He has served as president of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and was named Economic Developer of the Year by the organization in 2011. Both the Phoenix Business Journal in 2012 and Development Counsellors International in 2013 recognized him as one of the 40 under 40.

“I am fully invested in seeing the future sustainability of our region supported by significant business growth and collaborative economic development initiatives,” said Camacho. “I am humbled by the board’s decision and the outpouring of support I have received from the community. Greater Phoenix has become home to me and my family.”

During Camacho’s tenure, GPEC has led the attraction of 174 companies, creating 26,688 jobs and $2.2 billion in capital investment. Notable projects include Silicon Valley Bank, Zenefits, GoDaddy, Yelp, Amazon, Garmin and General Motors, among many others.

Previous GPEC CEOs include Ioanna Morfessis, Rick Weddle and the most recent president and CEO, Barry Broome.

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, Friday formally opens its new 60,000 square foot research and development facility in the Chandler Corporate Center.

“We are delighted to open such a state-of-the-art research and development facility here in Chandler,” said Merlin Smith, director of auto OEM software at the Garmin Chandler facility. “We chose to expand in Chandler because there is a large population of highly-skilled engineers here locally – and we have very much appreciated the support of both the city and state throughout this process.”

The new facility, located near McClintock Drive and Chandler Boulevard, is LEED Gold-certified and contains space for offices and research and development labs. Currently, approximately 130 associates work in the Chandler office, and this expansion will allow the office to gain an additional 141 new engineering and R&D jobs, as business conditions warrant.

The Chandler office supports Garmin’s software engineering needs, including aviation, automotive OEM, and desktop applications. Garmin has been an employer in the greater Phoenix area for more than 15 years, and has been leasing office space at a nearby office in Chandler for five years. The new facility represents $11 million in new capital investment.

“Chandler welcomes Garmin’s expansion here as we continue to grow our research and development community with solid, progressive employers,” Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny said. “Leading edge firms like Garmin choosing to locate and expand in Chandler show that we continue our commitment to bring the best companies and jobs to our community.”

Garmin was founded in 1989 and employs more than 10,000 associates globally. The company designs and manufactures a wide range of consumer electronics, many of which are enabled with GPS. Its product portfolio includes wearable fitness and wellness devices, GPS-enabled high-definition action cameras, and navigational products for pilots, boaters, hikers, hunters, and drivers.

JE Dunn was recently awarded the $55M Sierra Vista Regional Health Center Replacement Hospital project. The 175,000 SF, 100-bed full-service acute care medical center will be located on Sierra Vista’s existing 77-acre campus.The project is scheduled to start construction in December and will implement a 15-month fast track delivery process. The project broke ground in October 2013 and expects to finish in 1Q of 2015.

2 | Turner Spectrum Ridge

Turner Spectrum Ridge

Developer: Turner Real Estate Investments

General Contractor: Renaissance Companies

Architect: Butler Design Group

Location: Eight buildings on E. Lone Cactus Rd. & E. Salter Dr.

Size: 10,944 SF to 20,040 SF

Brokerage Firm: Voit Real Estate Services

On September 25, construction began on eight free-standing industrial buildings ranging in size from ±10,944 SF to ±20,040 SF. The development includes block-fenced private yards, a minimum of ±1,492 SF of office, clear height 20- and – 24-inch evaporative cooling, 800 to 1200 amps of 277/480v power and A-1 zoning. Buildings are expected to be completed between February and May 2014.

3 | Alta Scottsdale

Alta Scottsdale

Developer: Wood Partners

General contractor: WP South Builders

Architect: Womack + Hampton

Location: Granite Reef and Indian School roads

Size: 190,000 SF

Brokerage Firm: Michael Lieb

Wood Partners broke ground on two four-story Italianate buildings that will house 140 one-bedroom units, 76 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom apartments with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, vinyl plank flooring and many locally sourced materials. Residents of this boutique community will have access to a club room and bar area for events and cooking demonstrations, a fitness center and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired pool area. Tempered-air corridors will ensure that residents’ front doors are not exposed to the elements. Guests will be greeted in a hospitality-style entrance lobby. Construction on the $38M project is expected to finish in 2Q 2015.

4 |Manzanita Hall Remodel

Manzanita Hall

Developer: American Campus Communities

OWNER: Arizona State University

General contractor: hardison/downey construction

Architect: Studio Ma with Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Location: University Drive and Veterans Way, Tempe

Size: 218,000 SF, 241 units, 816 student beds

This student dormitory project located on ASU’s main campus features a full gut and remodel of the historic 15-story Manzanita Hall, which was originally built in 1967. The project, which began in February 2012 and ended in October 2013, cost $50.3 million. The new dorm rooms units with two or three bedrooms with one bathroom, and four bedrooms with two bathrooms. Manzy Square, the student dining facility, was also remodeled on the first floor of the building. New social spaces include a fitness center, mail and computer rooms, student lounges and a business center. Exterior improvements include new landscaping and courtyards, and basketball and sand volleyball courts. Subcontractors include HACI, Danco, Wang Electric, AZ Fire Protection, Adobe Drywall, Adobe Paint, Ikon Steel, Sun Valley Concrete & Masonry, American Openings, Kovach, Heritage, Mikada, Fine Line and Dickens Quality Demolition.

5 | SkySong III

SkySong III

Developer: The Plaza Companies

OWNER:SkySong Office III, LLC

General contractor: DPR Construction

Architect: Butler Design Group

Location: 1365 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

Size: 145,000 SF office building and 1,000-space parking garage

The $18.9M SkySong Office III building is a new LEED Certified ground-up 145,000 SF core and shell four-story office building with interior lobby and restroom build-out, including site preparation and development of surface parking, new quadrant roads and a ground plus a four-story +1,000-space parking garage. Construction began in August and is expected to finish in July 2014. Subcontractors include Saguaro Steel and ProSteel, Coreslab, DP Electric, HACI, Irontree, Jones Concrete, Kovach, ALR, Stonecold, DPR Construction Self Perform Work and Otis.

6 | Garmin International

Garmin International

Developer: Garmin International

General contractor: LGE Design Build

Architect: Cawley Architects

Location: Juniper Drive & Galveston Street, Chandler

Size: 67,000 SF

Garmin – Chandler is a new ground-up office building for Garmin International. This $10M project broke ground September 10 and is anticipated to finish in June 2014. The LEED Silver building features a parking ratio more than 6/1000, tilt concrete construction, a two-story atrium and outdoor amenities such as basketball and volleyball courts. This project will be designed, engineered and permitted in 120 days with construction scheduled for 240 days.

7 | Heritage Marketplace

Heritage Marketplace

Developer: LGE Design Build

General contractor: LGE Design Build

Architect: Cawley Architects / AV3 Design

Location: Gilbert Road and Vaughn Avenue, Gilbert

Size: 31,000 SF

Brokerage firm:Brad Balbo and Matt Milinovich of Strategic

LGE Design Build has recently broken ground on Heritage Marketplace Phase I in the Historic District in Gilbert. Phase I consists of 31,000 SF split into two anchor restaurants and a two-story mixed use office/retail building. Total cost of Phase I is more than $7 million. Future phases will add an additional 30,000 SF to 40,000 SF of retail, restaurant and office space. Phase I pre-leases include Zinburger by Fox Restaurant Concepts and Lolo’s Chicken & Waffles. Completion is slated for 3Q of 2014.

8 | Liberty Center at Rio Salado

Liberty Property at Rio Salado

Developer: Liberty Property Trust

General Contractor: Bid

Architect: RSP Architects

Location: Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe

Size: 810,000 SF

Liberty Center at Rio Salado is a 76-acre, high-performance mixed-use, office complex development offering tenants options for office, flex and light industrial, while providing excellent corporate brand visibility from the Red Mountain Loop 202, Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway. The development will later include retail and hospitality. Currently in construction documents, Phase I is a 120,000 SF speculative office building with 80,000 SF on the first floor and 40,000 SF on the second. The building orientation includes views of Camelback Mountain and Papago Park to the north. The campus incorporates a bike path of nearby Tempe Town Beach Park and also features an outside amphitheater. Liberty Center appeals to businesses with its central location and high visibility, as well as to the general public with its Sonoran Desert themed landscape and access to the existing Tempe Town Beach Park walking and bike path. The project is designed to be LEED Certified.

Garmin, the producer of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) devices, is expanding its operations in Chandler with a 60,000 SF building at the Chandler Corporate Center where it has leased space for the last five years. LGE Design Build will be the general contractor.

“Garmin is exactly the kind of quality, high-tech employer that we need in Arizona,” said Gov. Jan Brewer. “I thank Garmin for its continued investment in our state and its ongoing role in helping drive the Arizona comeback.”

This continued expansion of the city’s technology platform is indicative of Chandler’s strong position in vying for technology companies.

“These are the elite technology jobs, and employees in this industry can choose to live anywhere,” said Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. “You have to have an excellent community and sense of place in order to attract and retain companies like Garmin.”

Garmin will add 141 new software and product development jobs over the next three years, and has committed to $11M in capital investment. The Chandler office will help support Garmin’s software engineering needs, including aviation, automotive OEM, and desktop applications.

“Garmin has been a longtime employer in Chandler and the greater Phoenix area, because it offers a highly-skilled workforce,” said Garmin CFO Kevin Rauckman. “Investing in the construction of our own facility signals a long-term commitment to Chandler and the state of Arizona.”

Chandler was selected over several other states in a highly competitive process.

“Garmin is a champion of next-generation technologies, and we are so pleased the company has selected Arizona as a foundation for continued growth,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “This Chandler expansion will create high-wage jobs and generate cutting-edge research and development, strengthening our statewide economy and bolstering Arizona’s base of idea-generation and innovation.”

Garmin has expanded three times at its current location near Chandler and McClintock. LGE will be pursuing LEED certification for the building.

“It’s projects like this that are continuing to bolster Arizona’s economy,” said David Sellers, president of LGE Design Build. “We are proud to have been selected to design/build this new facility for Garmin.”

Construction will begin late this summer with an expected completion in the first half of 2014.

The iPhone 4 or iPad (or both) might be on everyone’s Christmas list this year, but if you’re in the same boat as so many Americans, they probably aren’t in your budget. Here are some non-Apple stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank.

Flip gets blingy

If you haven’t been to Flip Video’s website recently, you really should. You can now customize the Flip Video camera in a hundred different ways. The company offers tons of pattern and design choices, or you can upload your own image. Flip Video also has teamed up with several consumer electronic companies to offer a line of accessories that makes the Flip experience better. Accessories include a wide-angle lens, two different types of enhanced external microphones, waterproof cases, battery chargers and a pocket projector. iGo, an Arizona-based company, also is offering a battery extender that doubles the Flip Video battery life. $150 – $250, www.theflip.com.

Pa-pa-pa-paparazzi

We all wish we were one of those hipsters at the holiday party with the fancy camera around their necks taking impossibly beautiful shots. Sigh. For the rest of us, a really good point-and-shoot is in order. The Canon PowerShot A495 does the trick and delivers high-quality features usually reserved for much more expensive cameras. For less than $100 it also has some creative modes that will get any photographer on your list excited. Some stores had it for as low as $89.

Kindle is still king

The iPad is hot, but as far as e-readers go, the Kindle is still killing the competition and the third generation of Kindle does not disappoint. If you know a bookworm, this is the gift to give this year. It now has an improved screen for higher contrast (oy my eyes), faster page turning, built-in 3G, superior battery life, and a slimmer weight and price tag. $139 at www.amazon.com.

Find your way and then some

Yes, there are some people who still want a stand-alone GPS unit despite just about every phone on the market now being GPS enabled. I personally didn’t understand this until I checked out the line of Garmin nuvi devices. These little guys do so much more than map. The slick and affordable Garmin’s nuvi 295W is a nice package of best-in-class navigation, plus some fun features. I’m talking about a built-in 3 megapixel camera, WiFi that let’s you e-mail, and a super easy user interface. Even your mom could figure this one out and ENJOY using it. Staring at $100, www.amazon.com.